WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government wants to begin testing a program this summer that would allow low-risk frequent fliers to avoid extra security inspections at airports.
Passengers could volunteer to pay a fee and submit to government background checks, but if they were not found to be potential threats, they would avoid being randomly selected for the follow-up screening at checkpoints where carry-on bags pass through metal detectors.
The goal would be to move law-abiding and non-threatening travelers more quickly to their planes and permit screeners to focus more on people about whom the government has less information, said David Stone, acting chief of the Transportation Security Administration.
"TSA believes in this," Stone told a House Transportation subcommittee on Wednesday. "It's a high priority."
The program, which could begin in June, is expected to appeal mostly to frequent travelers who would think the cost would be offset by the time saved at airports.
Stone said testing would last 90 days. Among the airports being considered were Boston's Logan International Airport; Washington's Reagan National Airport; Dallas Love Field; McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tenn.; and West Palm Beach Airport in Florida.
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said he wasn't sure passengers would embrace the "registered traveler program" because of privacy concerns.
"We are, as an organization, very much in favor of it," Mitchell said. "But I'm not sure there are a lot of business travelers willing to pay to turn over all that information."
James May, president of the Air Transport Association, said he was "surprised but pleased" by Stone's announcement.
"We've been pushing" for such a program, said May, whose organization represents major U.S. airlines.
The General Accounting Office, Congress's investigative arm, has said many unanswered questions about the program remain, including eligibility, the level of background to be checked, cost and technological problems.
May testified that the government should develop the registered traveler program before implementing computerized passenger screening that would use personal information to rank all air travelers based on their threat level.
But Stone said the TSA is forging ahead with the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, or CAPPS II, which has been in development for two years. He said the agency will order airlines to turn over passenger records in the next couple of months so the TSA can conduct tests.

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{Everyone has a right to an opinion no matter how wrong they may be}

In return for submitting the information and passing the background check, travelers should be exempt from any security checks that law enforcement personnel are exempt from.

Otherwise, it's an extreme disparity.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

This is nothing short of governmental extortion!

I've had more clearances, background investigations, and "technical" tests done on me over the years than I can remember. But, there's NO WAY I'm ever going to submit to this crap -- especially to pay the TSA for the privilege of going through a checkpoint faster.

But, I'm sure there are hundreds or thousands of people who will fall for this.

Is Tony Soprano running the TSA?

Agreed: no one I know would want to sign up for such a thing either. If all the expense and privacy invasion is just for the privelege of never being "selected for additional screening" , then the point is moot because most people don't get selected all that often. I'm sure most people will fail to see the benefit unless they get some other preferential treatment than just being exempted from the SSSS line.

I hope the gov't makes it really expensive, too. I can't imagine that they could do much of a background check on someone for less than a thousand dollars. A real security clearance (SCI compartmented or Q) can cost ~$100,000

As proposed,the program is a slap in the face.The added insult is to pay for it.David Stone must think that frequent travelers are stupid.

Especially when the dumbass admits to Congress that his agency allows over one million airport workers to have access to the "sterile area" without any screening whatsoever. Just a simple background check, fingerprinting and a fancy badge.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2916-2004Mar17.html

I'm sick and tired of being treated like a criminal while the food court employees waltz thru without being screened at all.

Remember -- the food court employee is not getting on a plane. If he has a weapon with him in order for it to present a danger he would have to give it to a passenger.

When was the last time you heard of an airport food court employee who was willing to deliver?



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Sir Dovster, OBE
(Omni Boycotter Extraordinaire)

Hey, I've got a great idea, lets let TSA use the same company that did our background checks do the backgrounds for the public. This should result in thousands and thousands of trailer loads of backgrounds and info to be parked and lost just like they did with us.

I have to agree on this one-I wouldn't even suggest something like this in the "idea meeting" and i hope some of the better known pundits will pick up the ball on this and run with it-while i have a problem with the CAPPS II deal(not the least of which is it's basic viability), technically isn't this what that program is suppose to do???In any case, i would write your congresspeople, your mayor, your local state representatives, and the folks on your local airport board(and Tom Ridge to boot-i wouldn't waste the paper writing david stone)letting them know your displeasure on this...